Republic of Ireland manager Brian Kerr was today finding out about the harsh realities of international management after injury and illness affected his plans for the friendly against Scotland.

Kerr, who insists he will not allow the demands of club managers to turn such games into meaningless matches, makes his bow in the international arena tomorrow when his side take the field at Hampden Park.

But his final preparations have not been without incident with Fulham defender Steve Finnan missing training as he tried to shake off a cold, skipper Kenny Cunningham returning home because of a hamstring problem and Southampton's Rory Delap missing the game because of a domestic problem.

If Finnan recovers then Kerr has his team in mind, but today's problems have given him a headache just hours before his first international as boss.

"I have a team and I will tell the players tomorrow and then I will let everyone know," he confirmed. "But I have a couple of little problems.

"Steve Finnan has a heavy cold which he picked up overnight and he has gone to bed today while Kenny Cunningham has gone back to Birmingham for treatment on his hamstring.

"Rory Delap has gone back home for something domestically. If the Steve Finnan situation is sorted then I have a clear team in my mind."

Kerr is already without Blackburn winger Damien Duff and Manchester United skipper Roy Keane, whose international future is still unresolved.

But he has already decided on his new captain for the game with Cunningham and the Old Trafford man absent.

"I have a captain in mind," added Kerr. "He has not been told yet either but I will tell him early in the day."

He has been under pressure from club managers to go easy on their stars with so many big games coming up before the end of the season and he is planning to make changes.

Mick McCarthy's successor has agreed with Berti Vogts to deploy eight substitutes, but he will refuse to turn the match into a farce.

"I have agreed to seven substitutes plus a goalkeeper," explained Kerr. "But I won't use them all if it's not necessary.

"I am not going into the match saying that all the subs will be used, that would be ridiculous to change the whole team in a match.

"But as with other international managers I am under pressure from coaches. I will respect the managers' wishes, but they respect it's my first game and they know that I will be reasonably flexible in how long I will need players for."

Kerr is hoping to recover team morale lost by defeats to Switzerland and Russia - but he claims that defeat would not be the end of the world.

Irish hopes of qualifying for the European Championships remains in the balance as they face vital matches with Georgia and Albania.

But in the meantime, he is looking for an improved performance and reaction inside the camp whether they win, lose or draw.

"We are looking to try and win the match and play well," said Kerr. "But at worse the players will at least all be familiar with myself and Chris Hughton.

"They will know the style and the preparation for the game and that's what I'm looking for, but I would like to win the match and I'm sure Scotland want to.

"I want the players to understand how important it is to be chosen to play for your country and to represent your country.

"It is such a big honour and many thousands of people have to spend decent money at this time of the year to watch the game and I hope they respond to that.

"I'm in no doubts that the players out there will give it their best go."

McCarthy left after two European Championship qualifying defeats - but Kerr admits there will is unlikely to be a dramatic change in style tomorrow night.

"Can you expect anything very different tomorrow? You need to judge yourself. All you can do at the moment is prepare your team and stamp your own authority on it," he said.

"I don't see it being massively different because they have been successful players and got some good results so I don't see a dramatic change there."